Heat
by BigWhaleAndBlueBird
Summary: Do you have dreams that keep you up at night? Dreams that leave you drowning in sorrow? Dreams that rip everything away till there's nothing? Dreams that slowly kill you inside out? Well what if the pain could all go away? Would you be willing to bet your life on that promise?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello everyone. This took me a couple of days to finish this prologue. Not sure how long it'll be before I finish an actual chapter. But that's not what this is for. This is to say that this is my first time putting something on here. So I hope you enjoy this thing that has manifested into an actual being.**  
 **I do not own Hetalia. Just this idea of putting characters from said anime into a world of my own. Enjoy.**

* * *

Today was a special day for the country of America.

It was his birthday. July 4th. Independence Day.

* * *

A scream ripped from his throat into the empty and silent room. It echoed off the walls and in his ears. His hands clutched at his chest and his legs were tangled in the sheets with sweat. Sobs wracked his body like jolts of electricity, and tears poured down the sides of his face, staining the white pillow. His hair clung to his forehead and the back of his neck uncomfortably. Eyes wide with fear and dull with pain. His body felt so sore and weak. Like he had just awoken from a sleep that lasted an eternity.

His breath soon calmed down into light pants that strained his tired lungs. Hands lying limply by his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Eyes distant as he tried to think about what had happened. Mind always drawing up blank, but he still searched. He felt it too. He could feel it within his reach yet it still evaded him and taunted him.

"Good morning." He felt the bed dip. The stranger was back again. He was always there when he woke up. He tried to say something back, but he was still too far gone to hear what his mouth tried to say. "It seems to be getting worse. Your throat that is. I can't even hear you. Speak up."

"...w… tr…," He couldn't even feel the vibrations made by his throat as the words tried making their way out. Although, this time he heard it, he just couldn't understand it.

"Oh. You're thirsty. Well, you did scream again this morning. Be back." The bed shifted again as the stranger got up and left. It was silent once again as he still laid there.

* * *

He sat there at the table arranging a small kiddy puzzle. There were nine different pieces that needed to be placed right. Though, he just couldn't do it, and not because he didn't want to. He _saw_ them, but he just couldn't _place_ them. The answer seemed to escape his mind and wouldn't come back.

"Still can't do it?" The stranger asked and he shook his head no. "This is the twentieth time, you know."

He squinted at the puzzle now. Hoping it would somehow show him what he had to do. That it would somehow make everything right.

Was anything wrong to begin with?

Why was he even trying to solve this? Was this really a puzzle? Was it really wrong to leave it like this? _Why did he have to place them in the_ _ **right**_ _spots_? _Was there really any_ _ **wrong**_ _spots_?

Would something bad happen if he didn't do it right?

"You don't want to do this anymore, do you?" The stranger asked after sometime.

"...No…," He reached across the table and took a small candy from the bowl. It was hard and he couldn't chew it because the stranger said it would rot his teeth. It would get stuck and he wouldn't be able to get it out.

It tasted like caramel.

* * *

He watched the T.V. as things he knew and things he didn't know flashed across the screen. There was no sounds to accompany these things on T.V. as it was muted. But he did hear sounds coming from the thing that covered his ears. They were loud and blocked out any and all sounds. He felt a bit weird sitting there and only being able to hear the loud beating. But the stranger had told him to keep them on while he cooked. So he did.

He listened.

* * *

They both sat at the table for dinner now. Eating whatever the stranger had placed on the plates in front of them. He didn't ask what it was, he just ate.

"So, how do you feel now? Better? Worse?"

"Better…" He took a bite and chewed.

"Good," the stranger said, smiling. "I wonder if you'll remember?" He looked up at the stranger.

"What?"

"Oh? Did I say that aloud?" He smiled and gave a huff. "Nothing. It doesn't matter." The man gave a dismissive wave with his hand and went back to eating as well.

"Okay," He started eating again, too. The food tasted good, and he was happy.

But that was short lived.

* * *

He sat there staring at the black screen of his oversized T.V. His face was pulled into a blank expression. The person he was talking to sat on the back of the couch away from the T.V., face unreadable. It was quiet between them except for the tick of the clock that hung above the front door. He had had a drink in his hand for some time and it had beaded with perspiration, sliding down the sides.

After awhile, he looked into his drink at his reflection. Dark bags were under his eyes, and the startling smile he usually wore was completely gone. It had been nothing but sleepless nights. He literally couldn't even remember when he last slept. He got a few hours here and there, but would always be awoken by the screams that left his throat dry and raw. Things would happen in his dreams. He never knew what, though.

As tears started to pour down his face, he gritted his teeth, not wanting to make such worthless pitiful sounds. Arms wrapped around his torso then and pulled him close. He started to openly sob now and grabbed onto the shirt of the stranger tightly while the stranger smiled at his own reflection in the blackened T.V.

"What do you say?"

What could he say? There was nothing he could say. The air against his cheeks made his tears cool to the touch. His house was like a freezer lately. He would keep all the lights off and hide in his air conditioned room. It made him shiver and press his face into the stranger's chest. He was getting so tired of sleepless nights and screaming his lungs out. All while not even knowing what for. It was like the stranger knew what he was feeling, because what he said next made him break down even further.

"It's time for bed. You need all the rest you can get."

"B-but… I ca-can't sleep!" He wailed in despair while pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes roughly. "I can't! I don't want to! You can't make me!"

"No, I can't. But you and I both know you need it."

"I can't. I won't." Sobs stopped him from arguing further, and the stranger rubbed small circles in between his shoulder blades while giving a heavy sigh. The stranger was starting to get a bit fed up with how the boy was acting.

"Then say yes." He gripped the boys shoulders and held him an arm's length away. Looking into the boys azure coloured eyes.

"I'm scared." He shook his head no. He couldn't do it. He couldn't. The stranger then hugged him, pulling him from his ever building thoughts.

"I'm here, though, aren't I? I'll always be here. So just say yes. Don't think. Just count to ten and say yes."

"10…

9…

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…" He closed his eyes and held the stranger close.

"Yes."


	2. Chapter 1

**'Ello**

 **I finally got out this next chapter. I've had it for sometime now...**

 **So, I'm sorry.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"Don't worry about him Angleterre. I'm sure he'll show up sooner or later," France wrung his hands together and looked around to the other countries that were present. The meeting room was filled with everyone but one person.

Again.

It was the second time that _that_ person would be absent. They didn't show up at the last world meeting either which very much surprised everyone. Even if he was unprofessional and lazy they didn't think he would ever skip a world meeting. Especially not twice.

"Oh, am I late?" everyone turned to look at the door that led into the meeting room, and there was the man they all spoke about. Sky blue eyes, sunny blonde hair, and that ridiculous cowlick to go with it.

"Ah! Amérique, you finally made it!" France stood up and waved him over.

"You shouldn't be so late America. These meetings are important," Germany looked over at him with a stern face, and America just smiled.

"Of course. I've just been feeling a bit under the weather lately. It won't happen again," he nodded and sat down. The room was quiet for some time as the countries were shocked into a suffocating silence. That didn't seem like the America they all knew. The boisterous goofy grinning man. The young impudent man. The United States of America.

"America, are you okay?" England looked at America in disbelief.

"Of course." He smiled and patted the older nations hand. "You worry too much."

 _And that's a problem_ , he thought.

"Oh, okay. Well if you need anything-,"

"I'll ask. I got it."

"Can we continue?" they looked over to Germany who was still a bit shocked but hid it for the sake of the meeting. "We still have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, let's," America nodded and got out some paperwork. The meeting then resumed.

* * *

Everyone was shocked once again as America took notes and did paperwork throughout the meeting. He asked relevant questions and had relevant solutions to others. He gave intellectual presentations that were supported by solid data. He made suggestions to others and always had on a serious face.

The boy they all knew seemed to have just up and disappeared. He was gone.

* * *

"America?"

"Yes Canada?" he looked up from his paperwork that he was finishing during lunch.

"Do you want to go down to the new M*D* that opened up down the street?"

"Not now Canada. I'm busy," he shuffled some papers around and sighed. "As you can see." He scribbled more notes down in a small pad that he had sitting beside him.

"Do you want me to bring you some then?" he fidgeted as he looked back to where the allies were huddled around one another, waiting for him.

"If you don't have official business Canada I'm going to have ask you to let me be. I'm very busy right now," he looked at the other nation with an unamused expression. " _As you can see_."

"O-okay," he nodded and took off towards the allies. He was shaking so bad.

"Well?" England looked at him as he got closer.

"He's not hungry. He's busy," the Canadian looked back over to the efficiently working American.

"What?!" England was appalled by the notion.

"That can't be. Canada surely you're joking," France started to wring his hands while casting glances at the American just like everyone else still in the room.

"Surely, da?" Russia looked at Canada with a scowl.

"No. I'm as serious as America right now."

"That's impossible, aru!" China shook his head furiously.

"I thought so too," Canada looked down.

"Well we just-," England started to speak but was cut off by a certain someone.

"China. I need to talk to you about this agreement," America came up to the aforementioned nation.

"Now?! It's lunch, aru! You should be eating!"

"I can't eat till I get all this paperwork done. I also have bigger things that need to be dealt with afterwards, so all the more reason to get this stuff out of the way. Now, will you speak with me, or continue to waste my time?" he frowned at the asian nation.

"I-I'll talk."

"Good. Now about-," he started to walk away with China hot on his heels.

"That was very surprising," Russia looked after them and frowned. He also folded his arms over one another and looked at the rest of the group that was left.

"It was unnerving!" Francis wailed and started to walk off. "I can't stay here anymore! I'm leaving!"

"What?!" England snapped out of his stupor and turned to the Frenchman who was getting his coat on. "What about the meeting?!"

"I rather face an angry German than stay with this serious Amérique," and with that he left.

"Bloody hell," he sighed and turned to the depressed Canada. He was hugging his bear to his chest tightly and biting his lower lip.

This day was going to be a very long one.

* * *

People started to leave and gather their stuff as the meeting finally ended.

 _Finally. I was getting tired of all these people up on my case._

"America!"

 _Great…_

"Yes?" he turned around smiling to look at the man who made his way over to him.


End file.
